The schools include Andersonville Elementary, Bailey Lake Elementary, Clarkston Elementary, North Sashabaw Elementary, Pine Knob Elementary, Springfield Plains Elementary and Renaissance High School working with Clarkston Community Education.

The Energy Star certificate signifies the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

Building earning the certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Clarkston Community Schools has improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire district and by making cost-effective improvements to its buildings.

Together they have prevented the equivalent of more than 2,962 metric tons of carbon dioxide since the creation of theirenergy management program in 2005 and 618 metric tons of that this past year alone.

Since 2005, they have prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from 369 households for a year or from 581 passenger vehicles annually.

For just this past year they have prevented the greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from 77 households for a year or from 121 passenger vehicles annually.